24 Under 24: #23 Omar Salgado, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Who knows how high Salgado could have finished had he not suffered a fracture in his foot while on US Under-20 duty in June? He seemed to be taking well to the new position on the wing assigned to him by Vancouver manager Martin Rennie. His powerful runs and solid crossing in wide areas made him a new weapon for the then-upstart Whitecaps. After three months on the shelf, it won’t be long before we see whether he can get his large frame back into that midseason form.

What TDs and coaches like: "He made some strides toward the end of last year and into the beginning of this year playing with more confidence ... Last year, he was a kid, he played like a kid and, I thought toward the end of the year, maybe coming into this year, he showed a lot more confidence ... He’s a tall, left-footed player with good pace ... I think it’s pretty hard when at 17 years old, people are talking about you like you’re going to be as good as Landon Donovan. Right now, I think it’s a hard position to be in."

Where TDs and coaches want improvement:“Obviously Omar has to do it with the team in training to put himself in a position to be a first-choice selection … He’ll be a good player, but he’s not in the same class as some of the other young talents, not at the moment."

Opta Says: Only two players under 24 have created more big chances per 90 minutes this season in MLS than Omar Salgado (0.94).

What do you think of Omar Salgado? Tell us in the comments below.

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